Mike Spinelli

We once had a Hyundai Excel that couldn't hit 147 mph if it were reentering the atmosphere from space. But boy, how times have changed for the Koreans' finest. An Arizona man was recently clocked going 147 mph in a Hyundai Sonata that had been either leased or rented. Of course, according to police, he's in for serious fines and/or jail time for that (and other) speed-related transgressions. Notwithstanding that he probably wasn't rolling on Z-rated tires, we think the guy deserves a metal medal of honor. He's the automotive equivalent of the astronauts who had to ride on those g-force simulators, back when scientists thought such heavy gravity would send the flyboys' kidneys rocketing out of whatever exit holes the organs left in their skulls. The right stuff, indeed. [Thanks to Daniel for the tip.]